After many days, I am going to try capture a few on paper:1. Upgrade my car by June 2015- yes, I am planning ahead but this one is for certain reasons2. Replace an item I don’t have anymore- vague on paper but I know what I mean and I think I have found the right replacement too3. Consider the next stage of my life- do I want to get married? do I want kids? When do they all work with my life.4. Plan holidays- I need some adventures ahead of me5. Travel Europe again6. My company is now doing well and I want it to do even better so I can have a steadier (& bigger) income7. Sell my photographs to fund my holidays8. Design, build my dream house9. Inspire others10. Be the best human being I can be to the best of my knowledge

The other day, I was sitting, introspecting and thinking about life in general… I realised, I am in great nick:

Friends: can’t be luckier. As certain friendships were transitioning into different forms of friendships, others came in to give me the support I needed and provide me with the laughs and the craic
Family: Despite all that has been happening with them, they are all well. Much love and wellness to them all.
Relationships: For the first time in ages, I am in one where I am not thinking beyond the next day. It’s kinda teenager-y for me, and I am having fun- who cares about the rest.
Work: Enjoying it, loving it, feeling fulfilled but feeling underemployed, underchallenged, underfocused and so I decided to take a leaf from a post about relationships last year and redefine this aspect of my life.

Set a goal- be specific but leave room for manouver

I aim to have reshuffled my various business and work commitments by August 1 so that I feel sufficiently challenged, strike the work-life balance I like and be earning the amount of money that matches the goals I have set.

– Not necessarily a job- could be my own company, a project I am consulting to, a role I have been employed in- a maximum of 6 that allows me to focus and give it the attention it all deserves
– Of the 6, 2 roles are towards the voluntary roles I already perform- these take a small amount of my time and effort and allow me to give back to the community in areas I genuinely care about
– Of the 6, 2 roles are towards the companies I own, am building, already love and am passionate about
– Of the 6, I am now ready to look for 2 more roles as 1 of the current ones is about to come to an end…

Make peace with the past

Till almost last week, I was holding grudges against certain people I felt wronged by. I have been forgiving them, blessing them and wishing them love. I am letting the past remain the past and know that all the work I am doing will help me deal with it all.

Thank you Universe for everything- I know that everything has happened for a reason. Some of the lessons I have learnt have cost me a tiny fortune, some of the things I have done have caused people pain (unintentionally), some of the work I have done has been subpar but I made the best decisions with all the knowledge I had at the time I made them and as such, I am at peace with myself. I thank myself, I forgive myself and I love myself for the person I am.

List the qualities you want

For my 2 companies:
– a structured approach by all the owner/ investor parties concerned
– a “N” environment
– a strategic direction
– success in terms of turnover and not just profit
– growth of at least 100% in both the areas I am focusing on
– an ability for me to draw a salary without feeling guilty
– an ability for me to continue growing the current pool of talent
– hiring of at least 2 new staff members between the 2 organisations- may be shared
– should take about 10 hours a week of my time
– a proper Dublin office

For my 2 voluntary roles:
– stay as is, pretty much
– be more structured, be more thought out, be more strategic
– should take about 2 hours a week of my time, on an average

For my other 2 roles:
– the roles will allow me to work on my own times
– the roles will allow to be employed in a manner that keeps me engaged and challenged
– I will have a defined job description, clear roles, tangible results
– I will have my own space to do the role and will be allowed to come in and leave as I please
– will take about 20 hours a week of my time

In addition to all the 6 roles, I will
– spend some time networking
– spend some time meeting people to keep in touch with the news and the business pulse
– spend some time doing PR for the companies

In everything I do:
– I will be successful
– I will deliver results
– I will beat expectations
– I will be ethical and moral
– I will be kind to everyone I work with
– I will inspire
– I will be a pleasure to work with
– I will learn
– I will travel
– I will teach
– I will have fun
– I will enjoy all I do
– I will strike a good work-life balance
– I will have good work place banter with like minded people
– I will be in a primarily ‘N’ environment

Learning, growth and sustainability

Don’t be self-destructive

I am good at what I do. I am capable of all I do. I perform well at my tasks. I forgive those I have worked with in the past who have let me down. I ask for forgiveness from those I have let down. Love to all.

I am going to continue being good to myself.

Declutter

Cleaning binge- here I come, again.

Cleaning of the physical space, cleaning of the soul, cleaning of the brain, cleaning of the negativity- I am full of life, vitality and optimism. I am a beacon of hope and I spread goodwill everywhere I go.

Take An Action

Every day I will do something different to the previous day, however small a task or move it may be in the right direction.

At least once a week, I will reach out to at least one business contact I don’t usually say hello to.

Feel

Genuinely, I haven’t felt better than the last few weeks. Things are happening, change is coming and I feel it in my bones. I just do. It’s that womanly intuition I keep hearing about. It’s all well. Life is beautiful.

I want to achieve the feeling of contentment and satisfaction that comes from doing a job well.

I will first achieve this by
– ensuring the Irish arm of company 1 is up and running
– ensuring that company 2 is ready to trade
– performing the best I can in my current role and delivering the project as per plan
– ensuring I continue to grow and learn and keep myself challenged
– finding the right mix of the work I want to be doing

I can achieve this because
– I have the right skills and experience needed to perform
– I am a diligent worker and ultimately, focus on the long term sustainability
– I care about what I do and hence, focus on delivering quality

I will achieve this by July 31, 2013

I will reward myself by
– company 1 up & running: a new scarf. After 100 full paying Irish orders, I will take The Shrew to Monart for a weekend and will take Harry for a good dinner
– company 2 trading: a new pair of shoes. After I draw my first salary, I will take a fellow Indian with his own company here for a night of cocktails
– current project: by getting a new project
– ensuring growth: end of the year, evaluate growth by having done at least 3 new types of project tasks and thus, earning myself a new dress
– finding the right mix: end of Nov 2013, if I have achieved the balance I am aiming for that I know is right in my head and heart even if not perfectly articulated here, I will buy myself the bike I have been talking of

The 3 important benefits of achieving this goal are:
– I will be much more content than I am currently when I get the satisfaction of using my brain the way I want to
– I will be able to give more to the society, including my mother
– I will be able to focus on improving other aspects of my life

Richard Wiseman also suggested following the doublethink, so here goes:

Why achieve? Self- satisfaction & Contentment
The feeling of satisfaction and the feeling of contentment of being able to put your feet up, enjoy your life knowing that you have performed correctly, done it all to the best of your ability and have the means to enjoy the life you are leading is pretty awesome!

Barrier: not finding the right role
This is a huge challenge in the current economy and in the current market environment. Additionally, it is tough to find the right mix. As a kid, I wanted to have my pick of projects I worked on and I am delighted to be at that point of my life and career.

Another word why? Happiness & Success
Self satisfaction and contentment together define happiness to me and by achieving that inner happiness, I have reached my personal pinnacle of success. By knowing I have enough to enjoy all I want in life, I know I have come to the point where I need to decide to either keep a steady pace or define a new success.

Another barrier: My mental attitude
I can be my ow enemy at times. It is something I am aware of and am working on it, here’s hoping I can overcome this hurdle sooner than I realise…

Thank you Denise Duffield-Thomas and Richard Wiseman for your advise and guidance.Thank you Universe for giving me the strength, the courage and the future I imagine.

These are a few home visions/ affirmations, in a very cryptic manner so as to keep them close to myself yet put them out there:

1. I will make the amount of money I intend to make by the date I intend to make it by
2. I will go to Havana/ Cuba in July with Winnie
3. I will do the trip I intend to do with the person I intend to do it with by April 30th 2014
4. I will stop being as shy as I am about my company and my identity in real life and be more open about it- to the extent, I will feature in at least one article by April 30th 2014
5. I will be living the life I imagine in my head as part 1 of my long term dream by Dec 20, 2013

Today, while talking to a friend, we decided to not just think short 1 year visions or any such thing but describe an ideal scenario, that’s slightly realistic and what a day in our lives might look like in 3 yrs, 7 yrs and 10 yrs. I tried my best and am not sure how realistic I am being but hey, it’s just a dream, right?

3 years

In 3 years time, I hope to be living in with my partner, with at least 1 company doing really well and me being in the process of selling the other one. I wake up in the morning and go for a walk/ swim/ ride close to the house or else we are living on the land where my dream house will be built. After this, a good long shower, we share a healthy breakfast and then I head on to work in my office. At work, I have an excellent team with great passion for their work (and yes, an EA to assist me!). During the day, I take at least 3 breaks- one lunch to catch up with a mate in a nice restaurant, 2 coffee breaks to catch up with people.I go for a walk post work or some such activity while catching up with a friend before heading home to a nice dinner over a glass of wine, maybe sitting on a swing, looking into the distance and having a great chat with my partner (potentially planning adventures!). At night, I sleep well (well, after some vigourous exercise perhaps!) and wake up refreshed the next morning.
Additionally, I am driving a car similar to my current one but a more updated model, have my bike, get regular massages, am healthy and maintaining my weight at the optimal value. I am not worried about money and am leading a fairly secure life. Am potentially already married and in a comfortable loving relationship, possibly planning a family. My family are all doing well and I have few worries. I am in a happy spot.

7 years

In 7 years time, I hope to be with my partner and potentially 1/2 kids. If possible, I would like to have adopted a kid (law allowing!). I should have sold 2 companies (inc the one I sold in 3rd year) at this stage and am running a small startup or am in a comfortable job that allows me the freedom I want, getting a salary I really appreciate. At this point, I am hopefully living in my dream house, with my dream car and dream bike.
I wake up in the morning- go for a nice, long walk. I come home to have a quick swim before a shower and good breakfast with the family (yeah, we have a nanny to mind the kids and a housekeeper to cook/ clean/ help around the house). After breakfast, I drop the kids to creche/ school and head to work. At lunchtime, I head away for lunch with a friend before bringing the kids home. Once home, the kids do their activities while I work from my home study and then the kids and I spend some time getting some fresh air/ exercise before they get ready for their dinner and bed. At this stage, my partner returns home, we have dinner, enjoy a beautiful evening before going and using our jacuzzi under the stars and heading to a nice, relaxing sleep.
I am healthy, getting massages regularly, doing well financially, enjoying life, sharing life with a good set of friends, spending a lot of time in both India & Ireland & traveling. I see a lot of my family (also, my partner’s cos it’s mine too) and we are a healthy unit. All in all, it’s a happy world. I am still involved in the community, I am still pursuing my hobbies and I am a strong individual with a good dependant relationship with my partner.

10 years

This is the year I would ideally like to soft retire. I have sold off all my companies, sit on about 5 company boards and 2 charities. On the side, I am doing projects that keep me happy and I feel challenged by. This way I get to enjoy a good work-life balance.
Life just keeps getting better and better.
I wake up in the morning and go for a ride on the horses. After a good ride, I get home to shower/ swim before breakfast with the family. The breakfast is a happy affair which gets everyone in the mood for the day. After breakfast, kids head on to school and I head into my office (potentially at home) to work. I step out at lunch to meet a friend/ colleague and also have a coffee out. Late afternoon is time for some activities with the kids before my partner arrives home. We eat a beautiful meal/ go for a walk/ have some friends over/enjoy some time together before getting a good night sleep.
I am still enjoying life and it is becoming better day by day by day.

Things I am going to just expect as part of my life:my time with my friends, my time with my family, my strong personality, I will have something to do with education, I will start a trust fund, I will be a part of the society, I will be in a strong dependent relationship which allows both of us to maintain our individuality, I will still be shooting, I will travel loads, I will maintain my standards of health and body, I will maintain my defined standards of care and maintenance, I will head out socially on a regular basis, I will buy the necklace I want, have an active life and a strong relationship (in exercising terms too!). I will be happy, I will be content and I will be successful. This is not a case of waiting 3-10 years but always, from today/ tomorrow/ as the right time for it to be a part of my life arrives- the sooner, the better!

For most people, nothing of significance happened 5 years ago- a friend of mine turned 30, sure- but other than that, it was an ordinary day for most. If you ask anyone, they will think it was an ordinary day for me too.

However, I know differently- in many a respect, today marks 5 years to the day when I made a decision that completely changed the path of my life- today, 5 years ago marks the day that made me go into writing & photography professionally, pursue business school, leave the corporate world, enter the risk-taking world and basically, go through the mad roller-coaster that life has been the last 5 years.

I was out for dinner on a date today- second date- and realised, the guy had nothing to say- his highlight was being able to leave work early ‘cos he didn’t have to treat any patients and being able to iron his shirts in that extra time. Had this spiral of madness not started off 5 years ago, I probably would be like that- a girl caught in a corporate job, with nothing to talk of- work, telly, pub over the weekends could have been my life.

The decision I made didn’t work out but the impact it had has caused me A LOT of pain, A LOT of turmoil, A LOT of mental anguish, A LOT of anxiety but it has been worth every second of it- knowing how much I have done and have yet to achieve and having been lucky to have been made aware of so many different possibilities… yup, it has been crazy, insane, tiring and adventurous & fun. Here’s to life.

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Joy of Traveling

Joy of Traveling: This blog is about a simple Indian girl, living an extra ordinary life in Ireland- traveling, eating, working, clicking photographs and basically enjoying the beauty of life. A lot of the posts are exaggerations of events she sees around her and some may even be biographical but this is mostly a work of fiction, so take it with a pinch of salt, please ;)